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“You think I don’t know that!” I half yell.
Jake’s eyes hold mine in a direct stare. “Yet you were out with another woman last night. Even if nothing happened, you can see how that would’ve hurt her. Liz deserves happiness. If you can’t give her that, you need to let her go.”
Let her go? Let her move four hours away from me? Pain shoots through my chest as Jake’s words hit me like a sledgehammer. Jake’s right. I hurt her. I saw the flash of pain in her beautiful blue eyes when I entered the front door this morning. And I heard the sobs through her bedroom door when she closed it in my face. It crushed me.
It’s my fault she’s leaving. I could have come home last night, but I wanted to punish her for rejecting me. I pushed her away.
Now, I realize I wanted to hurt her because I was hurting, too.
I’m such an asshole.
From the moment I met Liz, I instinctively knew she was different. There was a thrill in keeping our relationship secret, and I convinced myself that all I felt was lust. Deep down, I knew it was more. When she wanted to make our relationship official, I got scared. I ran. I ran away from the woman who is most important to me, and now she’s running from me.
My eyes feel suspiciously wet when I whisper, “I think I love her. I’mjust so confused.”
The thick silence threatens to destroy my composure. I never thought I’d say those words again.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Dax jumps up and walks over to the minibar. I hear the clinking of ice hitting glass. “I need a drink if I’m going to listen to this sentimental bullshit.”
Jake clears his throat. “Well, that changes things. If there’s a chance you love her, you can’t let that love go. The question is, what are you planning to do about it?”
“I don’t know exactly. I was thinking that, as a starter, maybe buy her the condo next to mine. It’s for sale. That would give her the space she wants. And it will give us a chance to try a real relationship.”
Dax laughs as he lounges on the bar. “Man, even I know that’s a bad idea. She’s not going to like you buying her something like that.” His face takes on a come-hither stare, and in a low-pitched mocking voice, he says, “Hey baby, I really like you. Here’s a house.”
“Great impersonation, Dax.” Jake walks over to his bookshelf and looks through the titles carefully before choosing one. He hands it to me. “Now, don’t fucking laugh, or I’ll kill you both. Lana made me read this book about love languages. You have to figure out Liz’s love language. That will help you know how to interact with her.”
Dax puts his drink down and crosses his arms over his chest. “Please tell me that this is some made-up shit. Did you actually read that book?” he asks.
“Hell yeah, I read it. You think I was going to risk pissing off Lana weeks before our wedding?”
“You’re so freaking whipped,” Dax says. The mirth dancing in his eyes tells me he’s enjoying this exchange. “You won’t catch me reading something like that.”
Jake rolls his eyes at Dax, then taps the book while holding it out to me. “Read it. It will help. And as much as I hate to say it, Dax is right about the condo. Don’t buy it for her. That isn’t going to work. She’ll accuse you of buying her off, and she’d be right.”
I nod. “Okay, maybe you’re right. I need to figure out something, though.”
“How much time do you have until she leaves?” Jake asks.
“Just four weeks.”
“Plenty of time. You got this. Just don’t screw it up.”
I grimace at him. “My track record for not screwing things up with her isn’t great, but I’ll do my best.”
Jake stretches out his legs. “Not to change the subject, but do you have an update on the situation with the stalker sending the notes?” he asks.
“Yeah, sorry. I haven’t been keeping you guys in the loop. It looks like Trent’s wife, not ex-wife, like he made Liz think, maybe the one doing it. The P.I. found evidence that suggests she wrote the notes. His wife thought Liz and Trent were having an affair.”
“Oh shit. That’s crazy,” Dax says.
“Yeah, the whole thing is nuts. I feel bad for the wife, though. Apparently, she’s been going through some mental health problems. Suspecting your husband of infidelity would probably put anyone over the edge, especially if you’re already dealing with other issues.”
Jake folds his hands and leans forward. “What’s the next step, then? Is she being brought in for questioning?”
“We’re getting the authorities involved. Trent’s wife is sick, so we just want to get her some help. As much as I hate to admit this, Trent has been doing the right thing by trying to get help for his wife. The P.I. said he had her admitted to psychiatric hospitals on several occasions. It obviouslyhasn’t worked, so I’m hoping we can figure something out. Of course, my main concern is keeping Liz safe, and I don’t want to jeopardize her safety for any reason.”
Dax sits back down next to me. “At least you know who’s doing this. Are you keeping the security for now? And the private investigator?”
